Cargo handling and transportation system

ABSTRACT

A cargo handling and transportation system includes a truss type of frame on which vehicles are suspended upon leaving the manufacturer&#39;&#39;s assembly line. The frame is connected to a longitudinal beam which moves in a track and transports the vehicles from the factory to a means of ground or highway transportation. In loading a railway car, the truss and vehicles thereon are removed from the longitudinal beam by a crane and are lowered through the open roof of the car into connecting relation with brackets disposed within the car so that the frame and cargo are ready for shipment. Similarly, the truss frames may be removed from the highway trailers or railway cars by lift mechanisms which shift the frames into aircraft or into holds of ships for further transportation. The longitudinal beams are movable in tracks below the ground, and may be removably connected to the lower ends of the truss to be transported therewith so that they may be guided in suitable track members in a ramp loading arrangement, such as may be desired for loading aircraft. The frames also may be stored within the hull of a ship or airplane fuselage in similar tracks which are engaged by the longitudinal beams removably connected to the lower ends of the truss frame.

United States Patent [1 1 Bateson et al.

[4 1 Apr. 9, 1974 4] CARGO HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM [73]Assigneez Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, 111. [22] Filed: 'Mar. 16, 1972[21] Appl. No.: 235,229

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 65,875, Aug. 21,1970, Pat. No.

[52] US. Cl 105/368 R, l04/135, 104/246, 105/367 [51] Int. Cl B60p 3/06[58] Field of Search 214/515, 516, 517, 85,

2l4/85.1, 38 CA; 105/366 R, 367, 368 R; 104/135, 245, 247, 246; 211/177;198/131; 193/37 Fahland 105/368 R Primary Examiner- Drayton E. HoffmanAttorney, Agent, or Firm-Richard J. Myers 57 ABSTRACT A cargo handlingand transportation system includes a truss type of frame on whichvehicles are suspended upon leaving the manufacturers assembly line. Theframe is connected to a longitudinal beam which moves in a track andtransports the vehicles from the factory to a means of ground or highwaytransportation. In loading a railway car, the truss and vehicles thereonare removed from the longitudinal beam by a crane and are loweredthrough the open roof of the car into connecting relation with bracketsdisposed within the car so that the frame and cargo are ready forshipment. Similarly, the truss frames may be re moved from the highwaytrailers or railway cars by lift mechanisms which shift the frames intoaircraft or into holds of ships for further transportation. Thelongitudinal beams are movable in tracks below the ground, and may beremovably connected to the lower ends of the truss to be transportedtherewith so that they may be guided in suitable track members in a ramploading arrangement, such as may be desired for loading aircraft. Theframes also may be stored within the hull of a ship'or airplane fuselagein similar tracks which are engaged by the longitudinal beams removablyconnected to the lower ends of the truss frame.

12 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures CARGO HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMcants copending patent application, Ser. No. 65,461

filed Aug. 20, 1970, now US. Pat. No. 3,675,592 issued Julyll, 1972.

SUMMARY The prime object of the present invention is to provide animproved cargo handling and transportation system particularly adaptablefor automobiles and the like. The present method and system of handlingautomobiles from the place of manufacture to the dealer is well-knownand consists primarily of the use of overthe-highway trailer and tractorcombinations in which the automobile must be driven onto the trailer forshipment. Similarly, in rail car design, auto rack flat cars includeupper and lower platform arrangements into which the automobiles aredriven and then subsequently secured in place by suitable securingmeans. This type of handling is exceedingly expensive and also subjectto many over-the-road hazards. Pilferage, vandalism, collisionsresulting from drivingthe vehicles onto the racks, etc., are numerous.Further, generally after the cars are manufactured they are driven toparking areas adjacent the manufacturers plantwhen they again must bedriven onto the transportation vehicles. Thus large storage areas haveto be provided and a great amount of costly handling is required.

The present system is primarily concerned with an improved system andmethod of handling automotive type vehicles which resolves many of theaforementioned problems. In the present system, as the cars aredelivered from the assembly line they are immediately hoisted intoposition on a truss type of rack or frame arrangement and securedthereto by suitable brackets fastened to the rack and to the underframeof the automobile. The rack is removably positioned on a lower beam-typemember which may be transported in concrete trackways directly tothe'means of transportation which is to be employed in delivery of theautomobile. Thus the automobile need not be driven into parking areasand it is unnecessary to load the automobile with fuel which also is ahazardous and time consuming procedure. The racks are then raised fromthe lower longitudinal beam elements and are, by means of cranes orhoists, then lowered into the upper open end of a special type ofrailway car which by suitable bracket means receives the framearrangement and firmly holds it in position, with the cars suspended onopposite sides thereon. In the event that the truss type frame,including the automobiles secured thereon, is to be shipped by highwaytransportation, the truss frame is secured to a trailer having alongitudinal beam which accommodates the truss frame or the truss frameas it is placed on the trailer includes the detachable beam which alsohas functioned to transport the frame and vehicle assembly from themanufacturing or assembly line. When the rail cars or trailers areshipped overseas, it is a simple matter to hoist the truss frames fromthe railway car into the hold of a ship which also includes bracketingmeans or suitable longitudinal beam members for receiving the trussframes and maintaining them in an upright position. Truss frames withtheir vehicles carried thereon, including the lower longitudinal beams,also may be quickly and easily loaded into the cargo container of anaircraft fuselage.

Essentially, therefore, the system includes a truss type frame includingvertical and longitudinally interconnected members which will support onopposite sides thereon for transport, automobiles. The truss frame isremovably connected to a longitudinally extending lower beam alsomovable in roller guides either within a concrete area or on the groundto transport the frame and vehicles to the next point of loading whichmay be either railroad car or other form of transportation. The trussstructure with its removable lower longitudinal beam provides forvarious possibilities of loading and the lower beam may serve as a meansfor removably positioning the truss structures on other vehicles such asrailway cars, trailer vehicles or ship and aircraft modes oftransportation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of aportion of a truss type frame structure for carrying automobiles;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a truss structure being placed intoconnected position with a conveying beam;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional viewtaken substantially along the line 3-3of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is ,a perspective view disclosing the loading of a plurality ofautomobiles carried on a truss structure into a railway car;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5of'FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view through a railway car takensubstantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a detail cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG.6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a highway tractor and trailerarrangement and including an improved truss structure carried thereon;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the loading of a truss structure,with attached automobiles, into the hold of a sea-going vessel after thetruss structure is removed from a railway car;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a rear portion of a cargo airplane orfuselage showing a truss structure and means for loading the trussstructure from a highway trailer into the fuselage;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line -11of FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line12--12 of FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 5,truss type supporting frame 10 comprises a plurality of longitudinallyspaced vertical members 11 connected intermediate their ends by means oflongitudinally extending members 12 providing a truss structure ofrelatively strong and narrow construction. A lower transporting beam isdesignated at 13 which includes an upper surface 14 provided with aplurality of longitudinally disposed openings or apertures 15 which arecomplemental to the configuration of the vertical members 1 1 so thatthey may be received by said apertures 15 for securing the truss in anupright position. Each of the longitudinal transporting beams 13 alsoincludes vertical sides 16 provided with U-shaped recesses or slots 17extending substantially the length of the beam 13. As

best shown in FIG. 1, each of the vertical members 11 also is providednear its lower end with stops 18 which, as shown in FIG. 3, serve tostabilize the vertical members l 1 when they are positioned with theapertures 15. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, tracks 19 are providedfor conveying the truss frames mounted on the lower transporting beam13. The tracks 19 may be incorporated beneath or on the ground inconcrete, blacktop, or directly on the ground as desired, these tracksextending directly to the ends of the assembly line on which vehiclesare assembled. Each track 19 is provided with vertical walls 20 havinglongitudinally extending slots or recesses 21 which are in registry withthe slots 17 on opposite sides of the beam 13. Rollers 22 are mountedfor rotation about vertical axes by means of vertical pivots 23 and arespaced along and within the track 19 for guiding the transporting beams13. A lower horizontal wall 25 of each track 19 also is provided athorizontally spaced points with vertically extending brackets 24 whichrotatively support shafts 26 to which rollers 27 are connected, the saidrollers 27 supporting the underneath surface 28 of each beam 13.

As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, automobiles designated at 29 are carriedon opposite sides of each truss frame 10 and are secured thereto bymeans of brackets 30 which are rigidly fastened to the underframes ofthe automobiles 29. The underframe of each vehicle 29 is connected totwo of the brackets 30 which are each removably secured, by means ofremovable pins 31, to the longitudinal members 12 through verticalopenings 32. The connection of the brackets 30 to the underframe alsomay be such that the brackets 30 remain permanently on the trussstructures 10 and the vehicle underframe is merely secured thereto, asmay be desired.

As the automobiles leave the assembly line they are thus secured to thetruss structures 10 which have been positioned in the transporting beams13 slidingly positioned within the tracks 19. So as to stabilize thevertically positioned truss frames 10, upper guide tracks 33 areprovided which include rollers 34 slidable therein, these in turn beingconnected to hanger members 35 extending through eyes 36 positioned ontop surfaces of the vertical members 11. The truss frames 10 may then bemoved with the beams 13 along the ground to the areas wherein furtherloading is to be done, as shown in FIG. 4. Such movement is obtained bytractors or other vehicles, or the tracks 19 may be automated in thesense that the rollers 34 may be powerdriven to drive the vehicles 29along in conventional conveyor-type fashion.

In FIG. 4, a railway car 40 is shown positioned on a track for receivingthe truss structures 10 with vehicles 29 suspended thereon. The railwaycar 40 comprises conventional couplers 41 at opposite ends thereof andincludes a platform 42 which extends substantially the length of the carbut may be substantially nonstructural, merely closing the lower end ofthe car. The car 40, as best shown in FIG. 6, and as disclosed in theaforementioned patent application, includes at opposite ends thereof,stabilizing members 43 each of which includes a center plate 44cooperating with a center plate 45 provided on a conventional bolster46. The

stabilizing members 43 also include side bearings 47 which cooperatewith side bearings 48 provided on the bolster 46. Conventional wheeltrucks 49 are provided and carry the bolsters 46. The car 40 is enclosedby means of a flexible wall enclosure 50 which, similar to the platform42, is merely for the purpose of enclosing the cargo rather than servingto strengthen the car. The flexible wall 50 is supported by an upperframe 51 which in turn has hingedly connected thereto, as indicated at52, a hinged roof assembly 53. Thus the roof 53 may be hinged to theopen position as shown in FIG. 4 so that the car may be loaded. Therailway car 40 is also provided at opposite ends thereof withchannelshaped vertical bracket members 54 which face longitudinallytoward one another, each including flange portions 55 connected to avertical wall 56. The lower ends of the members 54 are suitablyconnected to the stabilizing members 43 to be rigidly supported thereon.Further, a lower longitudinal beam 57, as best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7,extends along the length of the railway car 40 and is rigidly secured tothe stabilizing members 43 providing the primary structural underframefor the railway car. When the car is fully loaded and the truss frame 10is in position, the truss frame itself further provides forstrengthening of the car and with the beam 57 provides the primarysupport for the car and also the support for supporting the vehicles.The lower longitudinal beam 57 is also provided with a plurality ofopenings or apertures 58 longitudinally spaced to provide means forreceiving the lower ends of the vertical members 11 of the truss frame10. As best shown in FIG. 4, a crane or hoisting device is generallyindicated at 59 and includes a boom 60 to which is connected a winchingmechanism 61 connected to a cable sling 62 suitably connected to thetruss frame 10 so that it may be hoisted into position in loading andunloading.

FIG. 9 discloses the railway cars 40 positioned adjacent a sea-goingcraft or cargo ship which is designated at 70. A hoisting cable 71 froma shipboard crane is connected to the cable sling 62 and raises thetruss frame 10 and vehicles 29 carried thereon upwardly from the railwaycar 40 whereupon the load is then lowered into a hold 72 for furthershipment. In the hold 72, while not specifically shown, there may beprovided suitable members, similar to the beams 57, which may be securedwithin the hold 72 and which are provided at their ends withchannel-shaped upright bracket members, such as 54, into which the trussframes 10 may be lowered and secured in the same manner as they arelowered and secured into the railway car disclosed, or the truss membersmay include at their lower ends the transporting beam 13 which may beremoved from the trailer vehicles 74 of the type shown in FIG. 8 and thewhole assembly may be lowered into the ship hold 72 with the beam 13suitably secured to the floor of the hold to retain the truss frames 10in the upright position.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 and 10, a highway vehicle 74 includes a rearwheel suspension 75 to which an elongated draft tube 76 is connected.The draft tube 76 is connected to a fifth wheel structure 77, in turnsuitably connected to a highway tractor 78. In this type oftransportation the truss structure 10 may be transported with its lowertransporting beam 13 connected thereto as an integral part thereof. Itis of course also realized that such a beam 13 may be permanentlysecured to the rear'suspe'nsion 75 and'fifth wheel structure 77 withoutthe necessity of utilizing the draft tube 76. Thus the variousadaptabilities of use of the transporting beam 13 is clear and such maybe readily utilized. In FIG. 10, the highway tractor 78 is'shown backedup to a ramp designated at 79. The ramp 79 more fully disclosed in FIG.11, comprises a U-shaped beam or track memner 80 provided with verticalwalls 81 and a horizontal base wall 82. Rollers 83 are pivotally securedby means of pivot shafts 84 on the walls 81 so that rollers 83 mayrotate about vertical axes within and engage the recesses 17 of thetransporting beam 13 as also shown in FIG. 3. The tracks 80 areessentially similar to the tracks 19 except in this case, the tracks 80provide a ramp. The base wall 82 also supports upwardly extendingbrackets 85 on which a shaft 86 is rotatably positioned. Rollers 86 areconnected to the shaft 86 for engaging the underneath side 28 of each ofthe beams 13. The ramp 79 is shown in position for loading into anaircraft 87 which comprises a cargo fuselage 88 having at its rearmostend an empennage 89 connected to a hinged rear fuselage portion 90 whichmay be opened and closed when access to the interior of the aircraftfuselage is necessary for loading and unloading. The fuselage portion 88comprises upper and lower compartments9l separated by a floor 92. Asshown in FIG. 12, the floor 92 may consist of upper and lower floorpanels 93 which are vertically spaced so that U-shaped tracks or beams94 may be recessed therein. The U-shaped beams or tracks 94 are of thesame construction as the ramp 79 and similar reference characters areapplied. Essentially they both function in the same manner, in effectproviding guides or tracks for transporting the truss frames from atrailer into position within the cargo space of an aircraft. Asindicated above, the truss frames 10 are removably connected to thebeams 13 and this may be achieved by removable lock pins 95, shown inFIGS. 8 and 12, which extend through opposite ends of the beam 13 intoopenings or bores 96, provided in the end vertical members of each truss10, the said bore 96 being disclosed in FIG. 3.

THE OPERATION As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thetruss frames 10 arepositioned on the beam members 13 by inserting the lower ends of thevertical members 11 into the apertures provided. They are then locked inposition by inserting lock pins 95 and the truss structure is thenrigidly secured for loading. The upper tracks 33 also cooperate withrollers 34 upon insertion of the hooks 35 through the eyes 36 which inturn are provided in the upper ends of the vertical members 11. Tracks19 are provided at the ends of the assembly line, and automobiles asthey leave the assembly line are loaded onto the truss members 10 bysecuring the automobiles by means of brackets 30 which are connected tothe underframes of the automobiles. The truss frames 10 so loaded arenow pulled by tractor or other means as previously mentioned to thelocation next to the railcar, shown in FIG. 4, wherein the crane liftsthe automobiles from the transporting beams 13 and vertical members 11at opposite ends of the truss frame 10 are inserted in thechannel-shaped bracket members 54, whereupon the vertical members 11guide the truss downwardly into position with the lower ends of thevertical members 11 projecting into the apertures 58 provided in thelower longitudinal beam 57. The truss frame is now firmly connectedwithin the railway car and the truss frame with the associatedcooperating parts of the carprovide not only the cargo support but alsoserve to stabilize and provide the main structure for the railway car40. The railway cars are then made up into a train which may arriveadjacent an oceangoing vessel wherein the truss frames 10 are againremoved and are stored within the ship hold 72 as hereinabove described.

When it is desired to transport the truss frames by means of highwaytransport, the truss frame 10 and the transporting beam 13 may bedisconnected from the tracks 19 and moved as a unitary structure to thetrailer vehicle 74 disclosed in FIG. 8. In this instance, the beam 13may be suitably secured or fastened by conventional means to the trailerand the automobiles 29 are then ready for movement. If desired, thetrailer 74 may include the beam 13 as a permanent part of the unit inwhich case the truss frames 10 would not include the lower beam 13.However, in the unloading and loading of the airplane shown in FIG. 10,the trailer has been directed to the airport with the beam 13 as anintegral part of the truss frame 10. In this case, the truss frame withthe beam 13 may be removed by suitable crane or other handling mechanismand placed into position on the ramp structure designated at 79whereupon it is then pulled by means of a winch mechanism 100 into thetrack member whereupon it is guided into position and into the track 94within the fuselage of the plane. In this connection, the transportingbeam 13 also functions again in the tracks of the ramp 79 and in thepermanent track 94 within the fuselage 88 to both provide for movementof the truss frame and at r the same time to support it in an uprightposition for further transportation.

Thus it is believed that an improved and versatile system fortransporting vehicles has been disclosed. It is contemplated thatchanges and variations may be made further which are within the scope ofthe present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A cargo handling and transporting system comprising:

an upright cargo supporting frame,

a longitudinally extending transporting beam member supportablyconnected to said frame,

means movably supporting said frame in an upright position, said meansmovably supporting said frame including a track,

means supporting said beam member on said track including supportrollers disposed between said beam member andtrack,

guide rollers positioned on said track for rotational movement aboutupright axes which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of said beammember, and

said beam member including a pair of sides, each having means defining alongitudinally extending recess therein engaged by said guide rollersduring movement of said beam member along said track.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said track being of achannel shaped configuration having a horizontal wall and a pair ofvertical walls,

said guide rollers being positioned on said vertical walls, and

said support rollers being supported on said horizontal wall androtatably engaging a lower surface of said beam member.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said track being supported on the ground.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said track providing ramp means for moving said frame from a firstvehicle to a second vehicle.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 4, and

said second vehicle having a cargo-containing body including a secondtrack in communication with said first track to receive the beam of aframe from said first track and to support the same on said body.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said track being supported within the fuselage of an aircraft.

7. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said cargo supporting frame being ofa truss type construction includingvertical and longitudinal interconnected relatively narrow members, and

bracket means carried by said frame for suspending cargo therefrom.

8. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said beam member being detachably connected to said frame.

9. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said means movably supporting said frame including an upper guide trackmeans aligned with said track,

rollers movable along said guide track means, and

hanger means carried by and suspended from said rollers for attachmentto an upper portion of said frame.

10. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

each of said recesses having a generally U-shaped slot configuration.

11. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and

said roller means including rollers positioned for rotational movementabout axes which are transverse to said upright axes and saidlongitudinal axis and engaging a bottom surface of said beam member.

12. A cargo handling and transporting system comprising:

an upright frame of truss type construction including vertical andlongitudinal interconnected relatively narrow members,

bracket means suspending cargo on a side of said truss type frame,

a longitudinally extending lower beam member detachably connected tosaid vertical members,

means movably supporting said frame in an upright position,

said movable means supporting said frame including a track,

' said track having first roller means on which said beam member issupported,

said track being of a channel shaped configuration having a horizontaland vertical walls,

said first roller means including rollers positioned on said verticalwalls for pivotal movement about vertical axes,

second roller means supported on said horizontal wall and engaging alower horizontal surface of said beam member, and

the sides of said beam members including longitudinally extendingrecesses engaged by the rollers of

1. A cargo handling and transporting system comprising: an upright cargo supporting frame, a longitudinally extending transporting beam member supportably connected to said frame, means movably supporting said frame in an upright position, said means movably supporting said frame including a track, means supporting said beam member on said track including support rollers disposed between said beam member and track, guide rollers positioned on said track for rotational movement about upright axes which are transverse to the longitudinal axis of said beam member, and said beam member including a pair of sides, each having means defining a longitudinally extending recess therein engaged by said guide rollers during movement of said beam member along said track.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said track being of a channel shaped configuration having a horizontal wall and a pair of vertical walls, said guide rollers being positioned on said vertical walls, and said support rollers being supported on said horizontal wall and rotatably engaging a lower surface of said beam member.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said track being supported on the ground.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said track providing ramp means for moving said frame from a first vehicle to a second vehicle.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 4, and said second vehicle having a cargo-containing body including a second track in communication with said first track to receive the beam of a frame from said first track and to support the same on said body.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said track being supported within the fuselage of an aircraft.
 7. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said cargo supporting frame being of a truss type construction including vertical and longitudinal interconnected relatively narrow members, and bracket means carried by said frame for suspending cargo therefrom.
 8. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said beam member being detachably connected to said frame.
 9. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said means movably supporting said frame including an upper guide track means aligned with said track, rollers movable along said guide track means, and hanger means carried by and suspended from said rollers for attachment to an upper portion of said frame.
 10. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and each of said recesses having a generally U-shaped slot configuration.
 11. The invention in accordance with claim 1, and said roller means including rollers posItioned for rotational movement about axes which are transverse to said upright axes and said longitudinal axis and engaging a bottom surface of said beam member.
 12. A cargo handling and transporting system comprising: an upright frame of truss type construction including vertical and longitudinal interconnected relatively narrow members, bracket means suspending cargo on a side of said truss type frame, a longitudinally extending lower beam member detachably connected to said vertical members, means movably supporting said frame in an upright position, said movable means supporting said frame including a track, said track having first roller means on which said beam member is supported, said track being of a channel shaped configuration having a horizontal and vertical walls, said first roller means including rollers positioned on said vertical walls for pivotal movement about vertical axes, second roller means supported on said horizontal wall and engaging a lower horizontal surface of said beam member, and the sides of said beam members including longitudinally extending recesses engaged by the rollers of said first roller means. 